“We have found that deep-sea microorganisms, especially actinomycetes, are an attractive, untapped source for the discovery of anti-infective agents,” said Guojun Wang, Ph.D., assistant research professor at FAU Harbor Branch.

Trehalose, a type of carbohydrate (sugar), could hold the key to a new treatment for diabetes and other metabolic diseases, but it might also fuel more severe Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections.